Noha Gad

Investment funds provide a straightforward path for people to grow their savings without needing to pick individual assets. Options range from individual stocks and bonds to simpler pooled investments that spread out risk. Common types include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and hedge funds; each of them has its unique features for different risk levels and timelines. 

Mutual funds stand out as one of the most popular choices for everyday investors as they gather money from many people to buy a mix of stocks, bonds, or other assets. A professional manager handles the decisions, making it easier for those without time or expertise to invest wisely. These funds suit beginners and experts alike, offering liquidity and professional oversight to navigate markets.

What are mutual funds?

A mutual fund is a financial vehicle in which shareholders put their money together to invest in securities, such as stocks, bonds, and money market instruments. A fund manager chooses the best investments, and every investor shares in the profits if the investments do well. For most individuals, mutual funds are the cornerstone of their retirement savings, offering professional management and built-in diversification that would be difficult to achieve on their own.

Investors pool their money to buy assets together, benefiting from shared costs and professional expertise. Rather than buying individual stocks or bonds, they can buy shares in the fund itself, becoming partial owners of all its holdings.

The fund’s managers are responsible for researching opportunities, selecting securities, and monitoring performance according to the fund’s stated objectives, whether that is aggressive growth, steady income, or matching a market index.

How do they work?

When investors buy shares in a mutual fund, they gain part-ownership of all of the fund’s underlying assets. The fund’s performance depends on its assets; if it is full of stocks going up, it will go up. If they’re going down, so will the fund. A mutual fund decides how to divide money across sectors, industries, and companies based on its strategy.

Additionally, mutual funds give everyday investors access to a diverse investment menu they likely could not build on their own. Investing in a single stock or bond can be risky, but a mutual fund reduces the risk by spreading investments across many securities.

Types of mutual funds 

There are four main categories of mutual funds:

• Target-date funds. This type offers a straightforward retirement investing approach by automatically adjusting their mix of stocks, bonds, and other assets based on when you plan to retire. These funds start with aggressive growth strategies and gradually become more conservative as you approach retirement.
• Stock funds. These funds invest primarily in equity or stocks with assorted subcategories. Some equity funds are named for the company size they invest in, like small, mid-sized, or large capitalization funds. Others are named by their investment approach: aggressive growth, income-oriented, and value. 
• Bond funds. This type generates a consistent and minimum return as part of the fixed-income category. They focus on investments that pay a set rate of return, such as government bonds, corporate bonds, and other debt instruments. 
• Money market funds: Money market mutual funds are often used as a temporary holding place for cash that will be used for future investments or an emergency fund.

Reasons to invest in mutual funds

Mutual funds offer key advantages that make them appealing for investors seeking growth without deep expertise. This includes:

• Providing instant diversification by pooling money to invest across a wide range of securities, thereby reducing the risk from any single investment.
• Offering high accessibility and liquidity by trading on major exchanges, often providing the only practical way for individuals to invest in complex or foreign assets.
• Providing professional management, where experienced managers handle research, asset selection, and portfolio adjustments.
• Ensuring transparency as they follow strict regulatory standards.

Finally, mutual funds serve as a powerful and democratizing tool in the investment world, expertly blending key advantages into a single, accessible package. By pooling resources, they deliver instant diversification, professional management, and robust transparency. They turn the complex symphony of stocks, bonds, and other assets into a harmonious investment suited for a wide range of goals, timelines, and risk tolerances, making them a cornerstone of modern financial planning.

Noha Gad

The e-commerce sector in Saudi Arabia has settled into a stable, high-growth era, driven by increased opportunities for e-commerce players and a continued rise in consumer preference for innovative new payment methods, ranging from Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to crypto and digital wallets. According to the latest report released by the Ministry of Commerce, the e-commerce sector experienced a 5% increase in existing registrations during the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, reaching 41,816 registrations, compared with 39,769 in Q3-24. Another report published by Modor Intelligent indicated that the e-commerce market size in Saudi Arabia reached $27.9 billion in 2025, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% between 2026 and 2031. The re-commerce sector emerged rapidly across the Kingdom, transforming the way consumers buy and sell pre-owned goods. Fueled by a large, connected youth population and a booming e-commerce ecosystem, buying and selling pre-owned goods through specialized applications and online platforms moved from a niche practice to a mainstream economic activity. 

Digital marketplaces are redefining value for Saudi consumers, offering access to high-quality secondhand electronics, fashion, furniture, vehicles, and real estate units with unprecedented convenience and security. This tech-driven sector not only unlocks significant economic value for individuals and entrepreneurs but also aligns with national priorities by promoting a more circular economy and sustainable consumption patterns in alignment with Vision 2030.

Resale in Saudi Arabia primarily refers to the informal buying and selling of pre-owned goods through digital platforms, such as Haraj, Soum, Kayishha, Syarah, Dubizzle, and OpenSooq, where transactions rely on personal trust, direct negotiation, and minimal platform intervention. This model dominates for everyday items, such as used furniture, cars, and mid-range fashion, often lacking formal quality checks or warranties.

The re-commerce market in Saudi Arabia is expected to grow annually by 15.8% to record $1.75 billion in 2025. According to a recent report published by ResearchAndMarkets, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% between 2025 and 2029 to reach $2.88 billion by the end of 2029. This growth will be fueled by a mix of economic drivers, policy support, and digital infrastructure and payment readiness. 

Rising living costs amid aspirational spending made pre-owned goods a practical choice for electronics, fashion, and appliances, especially as new luxury items strain budgets for the Kingdom's young urban professionals. This shift is evident in the rapid growth of electronics trade-ins and fashion resale, where affordability meets desire without compromising perceived quality. Additionally, re-commerce aligns perfectly with Vision 2030’s circular economy targets by extending product lifecycles, appealing to a rising eco-conscious demographic that views resale as both sustainable and patriotic.

High smartphone penetration, advanced logistics, and widespread digital wallets enabled key players in the Saudi market to offer seamless transactions. Trust mechanisms such as escrow, buyer protection, and cash-on-delivery (COD) options bridge cultural preferences for secure deals. This infrastructure, combined with social media's influence, accelerates peer-to-peer (P2P) and B2C models, making Saudi Arabia a frontrunner in regional re-commerce maturity.

Saudis have long embraced resale through trusted informal channels, but digital platforms now focus on structure, quality assurance, and scale to evolve the market.

 

Key players in the Saudi market

• Haraj: Established in 2007, Haraj is a Saudi marketplace for all goods, cars, real estate, and electronics. It initially focused on cars, then moved to real estate, and ended up being the one-stop shop for all classifieds in the Kingdom. Receiving over half a million visitors daily, Haraj applies the world's latest technologies at the back-end to provide developers with a great environment to learn and empower entrepreneurs to build a strong base before expanding the market.
• Soum: One of the leading marketplaces for secondhand electronics in Saudi Arabia that enables users to buy, sell, and discover various products, including desktops, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, cameras, headphones, and more. This first-of-its-kind unified national application enables both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals to sell in its marketplace, leveraging its wide network that covers over 150 Saudi cities.
• Kayishha: A reliable car buying company in Saudi Arabia that helps car sellers sell their used cars in a hassle-free manner, regardless of their make, model, age, or condition. Using a safe and transparent car-selling process, Kayishha enables sellers to sell their cars in just 30 minutes.
• OpenSooq: The leading mobile-first classifieds marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that allows users to buy, sell, and trade a wide variety of goods and services. It enables user-to-user real-time chat and allows each user to build their own profile.

Saudi consumer engagement with the resale market is a significant and growing trend, primarily driven by a generational shift where younger buyers prioritize value and sustainability over pristine newness. Tech-savvy youth are the primary adopters of digital resale platforms, using them for value-driven purchases and to generate side income. In the context of high costs for new vehicles, electronics, and branded goods, the resale market serves as a strategic channel for cost-conscious consumers to access quality products. However, quality and counterfeiting fears persist, particularly for fashion and tech. 

The resale market in the Kingdom faces several distinct challenges that affect its scalability, trust, and user experience. Major challenges include:

• Lack of standardization: In open-market platforms, product grading, condition descriptions, and imagery are not standardized, leading to buyer-seller disputes and hesitation.
• Counterfeit and misrepresented goods: Particularly in high-value segments like luxury fashion, electronics, and automotive parts, verifying authenticity and accurate condition descriptions remains a significant hurdle.
• Seller accountability: Ensuring reliable seller behavior, honest representation, and safe transaction completion can be difficult on P2P platforms without robust mediation systems.
• Returns and refunds complexity: Establishing fair and clear return policies for used items is a persistent operational and customer service challenge.
• Consumer protection gaps: The legal framework for disputes in private online sales is less clear than for registered e-commerce businesses, potentially leaving buyers and sellers vulnerable.

Additionally, challenges center on building systematic trust, streamlining complex operations, and changing deep-seated consumer habits. Addressing these issues through technology, standardized services, and clear regulations is instrumental for the Saudi resale market to mature from a popular informal exchange into a structured, high-growth segment of the retail economy.

Finally, Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce landscape is advancing on two dynamic fronts: the mature expansion of traditional e-commerce and the rapid emergence of re-commerce. Together, they are fundamentally reshaping the Kingdom’s retail economy, driven by digital adoption, youthful demographics, and alignment with Vision 2030's economic diversification and sustainability goals. The re-commerce sector evolved from informal P2P trading into a structured, high-potential market projected for significant growth. Digital marketplaces are driving this shift, moving the market toward greater convenience, trust, and scale. As these marketplaces continue to innovate and integrate stronger trust mechanisms, they will not only capture greater market share but also redefine sustainable consumption for a generation.

Ghada Ismail

For years, the startup world celebrated unicorns—private companies valued at more than $1 billion—as the ultimate success story. Over time, valuations grew, capital became more available, and expectations shifted. This gave rise to decacorns, companies worth over $10 billion.

Now, a much rarer group sits at the very top: hectocorns.

A hectocorn is a company valued at $100 billion or more. The word comes from “hecto,” meaning one hundred, and it describes businesses that have reached an extraordinary level of size and influence. These companies are not just growing fast; they are powerful enough to shape markets and industries.

How rare are hectocorns?

Hectocorns are extremely rare. While there are hundreds of unicorns around the world, only a small number of companies ever reach a $100 billion valuation.

Most hectocorns are global giants that dominate their sectors. Examples often include Apple, Microsoft, Saudi Aramco, Amazon, and Nvidia. Their valuations are so large that they are sometimes compared to the economies of entire countries.

What makes a hectocorn different?

The difference between a $10 billion company and a $100 billion company is not just an extra zero. Hectocorns usually share a few clear characteristics.

They tend to:

• Operate at a global scale, not just in one market
• Serve hundreds of millions, or even billions, of users
• Offer products or services that people and businesses rely on every day

At this level, competition is no longer only about building a better product. It becomes about managing scale, regulations, supply chains, and long-term strategy.

Are there private hectocorns?

Most hectocorns are public companies, meaning they are listed on stock exchanges. Staying private while reaching a $100 billion valuation is very rare.

To do this, a company would need to:

• Dominate a very large global market
• Earn exceptional trust from investors
• Maintain strong growth without public market support

Companies like ByteDance are often mentioned as rare private firms that come close, depending on market conditions. Still, private hectocorns are the exception, not the rule.

Will we see more hectocorns?

As technology, artificial intelligence, and emerging markets continue to grow, more hectocorns will likely appear, but slowly, as reaching a $100 billion valuation requires:

• Long-term resilience
• Global relevance
• The ability to survive multiple economic cycles

Wrapping Things Up…

In simple terms, hectocorns represent the very top of the global business pyramid. They are not defined by rapid growth alone, but by long-term scale, resilience, and influence. While unicorns capture attention and decacorns signal ambition, hectocorns show what happens when a company becomes deeply embedded in the global economy. For most founders, reaching this level is not the goal, but understanding how hectocorns are built helps clarify where real power, value, and impact ultimately concentrate.

Shaimaa Ibrahim 

Venture capital in the Gulf region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, is experiencing a rapid growth phase driven by the expansion of the digital economy, the rise of innovation ecosystems, and increasing interest in advanced technologies—most notably artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. As capital flows increase and investment funds multiply, there is a clear shift toward specialized investment models aimed at building companies with global reach, rather than limiting success to local markets.

In this context, Propeller stands out as a distinct player in the venture capital landscape, focusing on early-stage infrastructure software companies and connecting top technical talent from the MENA region directly to global markets, with a particular emphasis on the United States. Its cross-border operating model is designed to empower founders to build globally relevant companies from day one, leveraging the region’s deep engineering talent alongside operational expertise from leading global technology hubs.

Against this backdrop, Sharikat Mubasher sat down with Zaid Farekh, founder of Propeller, to discuss his vision for the future of venture capital, his experience supporting technical founders, and his assessment of AI and infrastructure opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the broader region.

What is Propeller’s strategic vision, and how does it stand out from other venture capital firms in the region?

Propeller’s strategic vision is to become the leading early-stage platform for infrastructure software founders emerging from MENA by providing them with direct, early access to global—particularly U.S.—markets.

Propeller focuses exclusively on pre-seed and seed-stage infrastructure software, backing highly technical founders and helping them validate, sell, and iterate with real U.S. customers—especially in Silicon Valley—much earlier than would otherwise be possible.

What differentiates Propeller is its deliberate focus and cross-border operating model. Rather than being a generalist regional fund, Propeller concentrates on a narrow, technically demanding category and actively bridges two ecosystems: MENA’s deep engineering talent and the world’s most advanced infrastructure buyers and partners in the United States. This approach allows founders to shorten the path to product–market fit, build globally relevant companies from day one, and access follow-on capital more effectively.

How would you describe the current venture capital landscape in the GCC, and what is required to elevate the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to a global standard?

We’ve been excited to see the venture landscape maturing in the GCC over the past few years, but we still believe there’s a long way to go. We ultimately believe that the best way to elevate the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is to bring its best founders to the global stage so they can learn from and compete with a high density of other founders of a similar calibre. We see this trend happening across the world, not just the Middle East. Great founders from Europe, South America and elsewhere spend time in Silicon Valley or New York, but invariably end up having a huge impact on their local, ‘home’ ecosystems as well, whether by returning themselves to continue to build their startup, by hiring local talent remotely or building an in-region office, by angel investing in the home market’s newest founders, or simply by inspiring a new generation of founders. 

What criteria are most important when evaluating startups, and how does Propeller help founders overcome funding and growth challenges?

Propeller focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage infrastructure software startups, investing checks between $500,000 and $3M. It prioritizes founders building for global gaps (not only regional needs) and sees opportunity across multiple layers of the AI stack, from hardware-adjacent enablement to infrastructure, platforms, and applications with defensible infrastructure moats.

Can you provide an overview of Propeller’s current funds, including their strategic focus and sector priorities?

Fund I was a test vehicle of approximately $2M launched in 2017. Fund II was approximately $13M launched in 2021. Fund III is a $50M fund focused on pre-seed and seed-stage infrastructure software startups, with emphasis on AI infrastructure and AI-native software across MENA and the U.S.

What motivated the launch of Propeller’s $50 million third fund, and why focus specifically on horizontal AI infrastructure?

The adoption of artificial intelligence will be the single largest driver of enterprise and economic value over the next decade. Startups are being launched today and in the coming years to meet the enormous infrastructure demands this adoption will create, quickly propelling the best ones into large, category-defining companies

We believe infrastructure is the ultimate multiplier of value in AI. Strong infrastructure enables vertical applications and horizontal platforms to scale faster, cheaper, and more securely.

At the same time, the most enduring applications and platforms will be those that sit on top of proprietary or defensible infrastructure, creating moats that go beyond user interfaces or data wrappers.

To date, how many startups has Propeller invested in, across which regions, and what tangible impact have these investments had on the regional innovation ecosystem?

Propeller has backed 30+ startups across its first two funds and has 6 active investments in Fund III. Propeller is present across MENA and the U.S., specifically in Riyadh, Amman, Boston, and Silicon Valley.

How do you assess venture capital opportunities in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the AI sector?

We assess opportunities in Saudi the same way we assess opportunities everywhere - does the founder have a severe conviction in a unique version of the future? Are they building infrastructure & apps because they love building? And are they thinking Global from day one?

We assess venture opportunities in Saudi Arabia through a fundamentals-first lens, with additional scrutiny specific to the AI sector.

In AI specifically, we look beyond model novelty and focus on structural advantages, such as access to proprietary data, deep integration into workflows, or infrastructure-level positioning that is difficult to replicate. We are cautious around pure “wrapper” businesses and place greater emphasis on companies that own a critical layer of the stack or have defensible deployment advantages.

We have long-standing experience building and selling technology in Saudi Arabia and view it as a strong, sophisticated market for AI adoption. At the same time, we do not see Saudi Arabia as the only market. We assess whether companies can win locally on commercial merit and then expand beyond the Kingdom over time, rather than being structurally dependent on a single geography or policy tailwinds.

Finally, we evaluate alignment with Saudi Arabia’s long-term priorities, such as digital infrastructure and AI enablement without relying on policy tailwinds alone. Our goal is to back companies that can succeed on commercial merit, with or without local incentives, and scale globally over time.

What are Propeller’s plans for expansion, and are there initiatives to establish new regional or international partnerships?

Our team members are already present in Silicon Valley, Boston, Amman, and Riyadh and we have close relationships with follow-on investors and experienced operators in those markets

In your view, which sectors or types of companies are best positioned for significant growth in the coming years, especially in AI and technology infrastructure?

We believe exciting new companies will be built at all layers of the software stack:

1. Application Layer – Vertical AI applications that win with infrastructure moats, not just data wrappers.
2. Platform Layer – Horizontal AI platforms that standardize workflows across industries.
3. Infrastructure Layer – Tools that abstract complexity and make AI usable, secure, and scalable.
4. Hardware-Software Convergence – Silicon-adjacent software bridging models and metal, optimizing performance and efficiency. 

More than companies, we invest in people. We believe that the founders who will build these companies will:

1. Have a severe conviction in a unique version of the future
2. Build infrastructure & apps because they love building 
3. Think global from day one
4. Attract and inspire early employees and supporters.
5. Have the persistence to run through walls, the flexibility to change course, and the judgement to know when to do each.
6. Lead from the front by building, not just directing.
7. Build with responsibility, aware of the scale and impact of the infrastructure they create.
8. Nurture a community around their vision. Creating movements not just companies.

Noha Gad

The world is in a race to master quantum computing — a technology based on the principles of quantum physics with the potential to reshape industries, security, and science. Unlike current computers, which rely on simple binary bits, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, that can exist in multiple states simultaneously and can be profoundly interconnected. This potential enables them to tackle complex challenges in areas such as medicine, materials science, and logistics at speeds higher than today's most advanced supercomputers.

By harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics, this emerging field offers time- and energy-efficient computational power, secure communication, and precise sensing capabilities. The quantum economy is poised to generate immense value through the application of quantum technologies across various sectors. 

Saudi Arabia acknowledges the revolutionary impact of quantum technology and is strategically positioning itself to become a global leader in this domain. This emerging field is not a distant concept but a strategic priority aligned with Vision 2030. The Kingdom is actively building its own quantum landscape, transforming ambition into structured national action. This move is a clear step to diversify its technological capabilities and cultivate homegrown scientific talent for the post-oil era. 

According to a report released by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Saudi Arabia (C4IR Saudi Arabia), quantum technology can drive innovation across multiple sectors, creating new industries and economic growth. In the healthcare industry, quantum sensors could revolutionize medical sectors, leading to more accurate and less invasive diagnostic tools. Additionally, very high precision in material characterization leads to the development of new materials and improves quality control in industry and manufacturing sectors. This technology can also revolutionize financial services and enhance risk management by improving the accuracy and speed of risk analysis. This could transform areas like portfolio optimization, fraud detection, and pricing of complex financial instruments.

When deployed in the logistics sector, quantum computing can improve route optimization for logistics companies, ultimately reducing fuel consumption, delivery times, and costs.

On the other side, these technologies have vast and multifaceted societal impacts, encompassing ethical, legal, economic, educational, and cultural dimensions. They are expected to transform how societies operate, how economies function, and how individuals interact with technology and each other.

Potentials and challenges

Saudi Arabia has significant opportunities to establish itself as a key player in the quantum technology race and become a regional quantum hub that attracts talent and investment and fosters collaboration. 

Various stakeholders play a crucial role in advancing quantum technology in the Kingdom and enhancing short-term educational initiatives aimed at rapidly building and strengthening the quantum talent pool. For instance, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) established dedicated research centers and designed undergraduate and graduate curricula focused on quantum technology. They also contribute through specialized programs, professional training courses, and collaborations with industry and government entities. 

Prominent organizations such as the National Information Technology Academy (NITA) and the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming, through TUWAIQ Academy, actively contribute to workforce development through internships, specialized training, and skill transition programs. King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), in collaboration with Aramco, has established a Quantum Chair Professor program to foster research, education, and innovation in Quantum technologies. 

Partnerships with local and international partners also play a fundamental role in advancing the quantum computing industry and creating innovation hubs in the Kingdom. These collaborations bring expertise, technology, and resources to the Kingdom, accelerating the development and commercialization of quantum technologies. 

Aramco recently deployed the first quantum computer in Saudi Arabia, and the region’s first quantum computer dedicated to industrial applications, in partnership with Pasqal, a global leader in neutral-atom quantum computing. Deployed at Aramco’s data center in Dammam and powered by neutral-atom technology, this quantum computing is expected to significantly build regional expertise and accelerate the development of quantum applications across the energy, materials, and industrial sectors in the Kingdom and the broader Middle East. Pasqal’s system can control 200 qubits arranged in programmable two-dimensional arrays, offering a platform suitable for exploring advanced quantum algorithms and real-world use cases relevant to industrial operations.

The Saudi Telecom Company (stc), one of the leading enablers of digital transformation, recently expanded its collaboration with IBM to establish a quantum-safe framework designed to proactively identify and mitigate cryptographic risks, ensuring readiness for a time when large-scale quantum computing could challenge existing encryption systems safeguarding sensitive data. 

Although Saudi Arabia has various potentials to lead the quantum computing industry regionally and globally, it faces several challenges in this domain, notably a talent shortage. The limited number of quantum scientists and engineers compared to global leaders creates a substantial obstacle to rapid advancement, compounded by a scarcity of specialized quantum laboratories, hindering crucial research and development efforts. The quantum industry in the Kingdom is still in its infancy, with few commercial applications, making it difficult to attract investment and create a thriving ecosystem.

In conclusion, Saudi Arabia has laid an impressive and strategic foundation for its quantum future, moving decisively from ambition to action and aligning national vision with institutional power, industrial need, and educational reform. Its unique advantage lies in applying quantum computing to its own industrial sectors, creating a tangible testbed for innovation. However, the Kingdom’s success will ultimately be measured by its ability to transition from foundational projects and protected pilot cases to a vibrant, open, and innovative ecosystem that attracts global talent, fosters indigenous entrepreneurship, and produces groundbreaking intellectual property. By navigating the challenges of talent cultivation, ecosystem diversification, and sustained investment, Saudi Arabia will be positioned not only to adopt quantum technology but to actively shape its development and secure an influential role in the coming quantum-powered era.

Ghada Ismail

In the first article, we explored the API Economy as a global shift, but understanding the concept is only the beginning. The real story emerges when we look at how the API Economy takes shape on the ground, inside actual markets.

When a user taps “pay,” links a bank account, or signs into a digital wallet, the experience looks simple. But behind every smooth tap lies a hidden world: API gateways, microservices, integration layers, open-banking rails, and banking-as-a-service components working in perfect coordination. While global conversations highlight Stripe, PayPal, and social media APIs, Saudi Arabia’s reality is driven by a growing network of local firms quietly building the financial infrastructure of the future.

This article maps the local ecosystem, the players powering it, how the architecture works, and why Saudi Arabia’s API economy is becoming a strategic backbone for the region.

Why the API Economy Is Accelerating in Saudi Arabia

The foundations of Saudi Arabia’s API ecosystem are being shaped by three intersecting forces:

1. Regulatory clarity and open banking readiness.
Saudi regulators and banks have laid down frameworks that encourage standardized APIs, account-data access, and safe third-party integrations. This clarity reduces friction for both fintechs and API providers.

2. Rapid consumer adoption of digital payments.
With mobile wallets, tap-to-pay, and online banking becoming mainstream, demand for stable, scalable backend infrastructure has never been higher.

3. The need for speed, cost efficiency, and modular development.
Instead of reinventing infrastructure, fintechs can now assemble it — using APIs for payments, identity, compliance, or card issuance. This modularity is what allows Saudi fintechs to launch fast and scale without massive upfront investment.

Together, these factors have created the conditions for a strong local market of API builders, integrators, and specialized fintech-infrastructure companies.

Who Is Building Saudi Arabia’s API Infrastructure?

Saudi’s API ecosystem isn’t driven by one type of company — it’s a layered network of infrastructure specialists. Below are the key categories and the local firms shaping each layer.

1. Microservices, Cloud & Integration Firms: SkyTech Digital, AusafTech, Tech Polaris

These companies form the technical backbone that many fintechs rely on:

SkyTech Digital

• Designs microservices architectures and cloud-native applications.
• Helps businesses migrate from legacy or monolithic systems to modular, API-driven backends.
• For fintechs, this means faster performance, better scalability, and easier maintenance.

AusafTech

• Specializes in full-stack API integration — from advisory to testing to long-term maintenance.
• Connects systems to payment gateways, CRMs, cloud platforms, and messaging services.
• Plays a crucial role when fintechs need multiple integrations handled reliably.

Tech Polaris

• Offers API development and integration support for businesses building modular services.
• Represents the growing demand for API-first engineering firms in the Kingdom.

These firms make fintech architecture possible: without microservices, cloud-native environments, or integration scaffolding, fintech products simply wouldn’t scale.

2. Fintech-Facing API Platforms: Open Banking, Payments, Cards & Payouts

Beyond general integration, Saudi fintechs rely on API-first firms that offer ready-made financial infrastructure.

Open banking aggregators (e.g., Lean Technologies, SingleView)

• Provide account-data APIs, payment initiation, and bank connectivity.
• Let fintechs fetch transaction data, verify accounts, or build budgeting tools without separate bank integrations.

Banking-as-a-Service & card-issuing platforms (e.g., NymCard)

• Enable virtual cards, user payouts, financing modules, and program management — all via APIs.
• Allow fintechs to launch financial services without building rails from scratch.

Payment service providers and merchant platforms (e.g., Geidea)

• Offer robust payment APIs, checkout solutions, and payment links.
• Let marketplaces, apps, and online merchants embed payments instantly.

When assembled together, these API components create a “plug-and-play fintech stack” — one that allows startups to focus on the product rather than the plumbing.

How These Layers Work Together: A Realistic Saudi Fintech Stack

To understand how this ecosystem behaves in practice, imagine a Saudi fintech launching a digital wallet, BNPL service, or SME-payments tool:

• Backend architecture: A firm like SkyTech builds the cloud-native, microservices-based foundation.
• Payment processing: The fintech integrates Geidea’s payment APIs.
• Cards and payouts: They plug into NymCard’s card-issuing or payout APIs.
• Bank-account connectivity: Lean Technologies or SingleView enables account linking and open-banking flows.
• Additional integrations: AusafTech manages CRM, SMS, cloud services, and other connections.

The result?
A fully operational fintech product built in months — not years — thanks to a layered ecosystem of specialized API providers.

This is the API Economy made real.

Why Local Firms Matter More Than Ever

While global API giants dominate headlines, Saudi fintechs increasingly depend on regional infrastructure firms — for reasons that are both practical and strategic:

• Regulatory alignment: Local providers are built for SAMA compliance and Saudi banking rules.
• Localization: They understand cultural norms, payment behaviors, and Arabic-language user journeys.
• Speed of integration: Proximity enables faster iteration and customization.
• Resilience: Relying only on global providers increases risk; a diverse regional stack is more stable.

These companies are not outsourced vendors; they are ecosystem enablers building national infrastructure.

Implications for Founders, Investors, and Policymakers

For startups and founders:

• APIs significantly reduce time-to-market.
• Modular infrastructure lets teams focus on UX and differentiation.
• Choosing the right integration partners becomes a strategic decision.

For investors:

• API providers are long-term infrastructure bets.
• Their value compounds as the fintech market expands.

For regulators:

• Clear API standards and sandboxes accelerate innovation.
• Supporting local API firms strengthens national digital sovereignty.

Conclusion: Saudi Arabia’s API Economy Has Entered Its Infrastructure Phase

If the first article explained what the API Economy is, this article explains how it is being built in Saudi Arabia — and by whom.

The Kingdom’s fintech growth is not powered solely by consumer-facing apps, but by the invisible architecture behind them: APIs, microservices, integration frameworks, open-banking rails, card-issuing platforms, and PSP gateways. Companies like SkyTech Digital, AusafTech, Tech Polaris, Geidea, NymCard, Lean Technologies, and SingleView are quietly building the rails that make everything possible.

The real story of Saudi fintech is not just about innovation on the surface.
It’s about the infrastructure underneath — reliable, compliant, modular, and fast-evolving.

And as Saudi Arabia accelerates toward a fully digital economy, those who understand and invest in this infrastructure will be shaping not just apps, but the future of finance across the region.

Ghada Ismail

When an ecosystem grows fast enough, its consumers often become its creators.. and potentially its funders. Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia’s gaming and esports sector has transformed from a niche leisure activity into a central plank of the Kingdom’s economic‑diversification strategy. This shift is creating a new dynamic: engaged, affluent gamers who understand games, audiences and monetization, and who may soon act like investors. 

The resulting feedback loop seems promising: state‑backed capital and high-profile events generate interest; local entrepreneurs launch studios, platforms and tools; and successful players, creators and founders begin to emerge as potential angel investors — accelerating the cycle.

The scale of the opportunity helps explain the momentum. According to according to Savvy Games’ 2024 report, Saudi Arabia’s gaming market generated about US$1.19 billion in revenue in 2024, making it the largest gaming market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). 

Projections in that report estimate the market could reach US$1.64 billion by 2028, assuming steady growth across platforms (console, mobile, PC). 

Moreover, the overall appetite for gaming in the Kingdom appears substantial. According to one 2025 analysis by Antom.com, Saudi Arabia outpaces the MENA average in per‑capita gaming spending (almost three times higher) and counts about 23.5 million players, with a reported penetration of about 63%. 

Thanks to these numbers, as Saudi gamers participate in tournaments, build communities, create content, and use local or regional platforms, they are gaining a kind of product and market literacy, the kind of instinctive sense for audience behavior, monetization and content dynamics that investors typically rely on. With the gaming sector expected to expand steadily through at least the latter half of the decade, the Kingdom may be approaching a novel phenomenon: where players and creators don’t just consume the ecosystem — they fund it.

Why Gamers Could Make Effective Investors

The idea of a gamer acting like an angel investor may sound bold, but in Saudi Arabia’s current context, it is increasingly plausible. Gamers tend to develop deep product intuition: after thousands of hours engaging with games, they learn to spot good user experience, balance design, monetization potential, and retention dynamics. They understand what players want, a useful skill when evaluating new gaming or esports startups.

Content-creating gamers — whether they stream, compete, commentate, or run communities — usually build strong followings. That audience gives them real influence. A single post, stream, or tournament partnership can draw attention to a startup, bring in early users, or even attract investors. Because they have this direct reach and credibility, creators can be powerful early supporters or even valuable co-founders.

Some gamers have moved beyond playing or content creation into informal micro‑businesses: coaching, streaming monetization, community tournaments, and even indie game development. These ventures mirror early-stage startup experience, giving gamer‑entrepreneurs a head start.

Because many of these initiatives build on local tastes, culture, language, and regional understanding, there is strategic alignment: Saudi gamer‑investors may be especially motivated to support platforms and titles that resonate regionally.

Institutional Support: Savvy Games Group

At the top of the new gaming ecosystem sits Savvy Games Group, created under the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund to lead the charge. According to its 2023 annual report, it was set up to align with Saudi Vision 2030 goals: leveraging a young, affluent, tech-savvy population to build a national games industry. 

Savvy’s backing gives legitimacy and resources to the sector — from infrastructure and studio development to global publishing and esports investments. This sovereign‑scale commitment signals strongly to local entrepreneurs and prospective gamer‑investors that gaming is not a passing trend, but a long-term strategic industry for the Kingdom. 

Emerging Domestic Platforms and Startups

As institutional capital flows, local startups and regional platforms are shaping the ecosystem from the grassroots upward. Their existence expands the possible entry points for gamer‑investors. These are the most prominent players in the local market:

• Grintafy — A Saudi sports-tech platform (founded in 2018 / 2019, based in Jeddah) that connects amateur and semi-pro footballers to clubs, matches, and talent scouts. Grintafy allows users to build a “football CV,” organize or join games, rate players, track performance, and get visibility among clubs and academies — effectively democratizing access to football opportunities across the Middle East. Grintafy has raised external investment: a 2022 convertible note from Wa’ed Ventures, and more recently a strategic investment from Chiliz (a global sports-blockchain company) to accelerate its transition toward Web3 and scale its talent-discovery ambitions. 

• Spoilz  — A Saudi game-development studio (founded 2020) focused on mobile games and live-ops services for the MENA region. Spoilz recently secured investment from investors including Merak Capital and Impact46, with plans to build globally competitive games and expand beyond mobile to PC/console/smart-TV platforms. 
• Fahy Studios — A Riyadh-based game studio that in 2025 closed a US$1.75 million funding round to develop hybrid-casual games globally. The studio graduated from the educational accelerator program at NEOM Media Industries’ Level-Up accelerator and signed a publishing deal with international publisher Kwalee. 
• Starvania Studios — A newer Saudi indie studio (founded 2022) that secured US$1.1 million in funding from Merak Capital and Impact46, aiming to expand into PC and console game development. Its first released game (on Steam) draws on Arabian mythology themes, showing local creative ambition and regional cultural resonance. 
• Rize.gg  — A newer, pre-seed startup (headquartered in Riyadh) building a platform for competitive gamers to team up, stream gameplay, and organize tournaments, representing early-stage, community-driven startup activity in Saudi Arabia’s esports ecosystem. 

What These Real Examples Tell Us

• The ecosystem is diverse; not just big capital-heavy firms, but indie studios (Spoilz, Starvania, Fahy), and platform/community-builders (Rize.gg). There is active investor interest and early-stage funding: studios like Fahy and Starvania have secured external investment; Spoilz is scaling. This shows that Saudi Arabia’s gaming scene is beginning to attract real capital beyond state-backed conglomerates.
• These companies emphasise regional relevance and global ambition — games drawing on local cultural references, but aiming for international distribution; venues and platforms designed for local communities but part of broader esports networks.
• For “gamer-investors,” this variety offers multiple entry points: investing in indie studios, backing platforms, co-owning venues or clubs, or even participating directly in community-driven content/competition.

Government and Regulatory Support: Clearing the Path for Gaming Investment

Saudi Arabia’s gaming ecosystem is buoyed by proactive government policies. The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) have implemented frameworks to support esports tournaments, professional leagues, and content creation. Initiatives like SEF Arena in Riyadh, which hosts competitive gaming events, serve not only as a physical hub for players but also as a proving ground for potential investor-gamers to assess market dynamics firsthand. 

Additionally, regulatory clarity around digital assets, in-game monetization, and content licensing is improving, lowering barriers for both startups and investor-gamers. Policies encouraging local IP development and regional content distribution provide incentives for Saudi gamers to participate in funding domestic projects rather than relying solely on foreign titles. These regulatory advances reinforce the sustainability of a gamer-investor ecosystem.

The Role of Education and Skills Development in Gaming Investment

Another emerging trend is the overlap between gaming literacy and professional skills. Many Saudi gamers are students or professionals in computer science, design, data analytics, or digital media. Their gaming experience equips them with deep insights into user behavior, digital monetization, and community management, skills that are directly transferable to evaluating startups or running small gaming-focused ventures.

Local educational initiatives, including partnerships with universities and coding academies, are increasingly incorporating esports management, game design, and content production into their curricula. Programs like these provide structured pathways for aspiring investor-gamers to transition from hobbyist participation to professional involvement in the gaming economy, further reinforcing the pipeline from player to investor. 

Conclusion

Saudi Arabia’s gaming push is no longer just about big tournaments or major acquisitions. Thanks to strong government support, a young population, and growing local spending, the Kingdom now has the foundations of a gaming sector that can sustain itself.

These foundations could also create a new kind of investor- gamers who understand products, digital culture, and community needs better than traditional investors. As the market grows and more Saudi studios, tools, and platforms appear, these gamers may increasingly step into roles as founders, early backers, or active stakeholders.

In short, Saudi Arabia might be on its way to creating one of the world’s most unique groups of digital-native, gaming-driven investors. This future now feels realistic, it’s just not fully here yet.

Noha Gad

The freelance market in Saudi Arabia has witnessed rapid growth and transformation in recent years, becoming a dynamic and integral part of the national economy. This evolving sector offers flexible opportunities that empower individuals and foster innovation across various industries, aligning with the Vision 2030 agenda.

Digital platforms have played a key role in facilitating seamless connections between freelancers and businesses. Among these platforms, Hurr (formerly Passioneurs) has established itself as a leader in the freelance market, thanks to its secure, user-friendly platform that supports both entrepreneurs and freelancers. 

Sharikat Mubasher spoke with Muna Balhamar, CEO and Founder of Hurr, to learn more about the platform’s role in transforming the freelance industry in Saudi Arabia and the wider region, as well as its next steps to expand its presence locally and regionally, notably following the launch of its new identity.

First, how does Hurr’s business model support entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region?

Hurr was built around one simple belief: entrepreneurship should be accessible, flexible, and sustainable. Our business model supports entrepreneurs and companies by giving them an easy way to find verified freelancers across more than 100 fields, without the burden of traditional hiring.

We help companies cut their employment-related costs by up to 60% by giving them instant access to qualified freelancers instead of hiring full-time roles they do not actually need. This allows entrepreneurs to stay lean, move faster, and grow without heavy overhead.

At the same time, we give freelancers a structured, trusted platform where they can build a real income, access opportunities across the GCC, and scale their skills into long-term careers.

In short, Hurr creates a win-win ecosystem: lowering costs for businesses while expanding opportunities for freelancers—both essential to the growth of entrepreneurship in the region.

How do you utilize technology to help users reduce operational costs?

Technology is at the core of how we help our users focus on their craft rather than overhead. We provide a robust digital marketplace where freelancers and entrepreneurs can create profiles, showcase their services, receive assignments, and get paid, all within one streamlined system. This reduces the need for them to build and maintain complex systems themselves.

We automate key processes: from client-matching and job allocation to payment processing and service review. That means less time spent on admin, less cost on infrastructure, and fewer mistakes.

We also offer analytics and insights to enable entrepreneurs to understand their utilization, pricing, service delivery, and client feedback, helping them optimize their operations and reduce waste.

We invest in scalable cloud infrastructure, modular design, and shared services, which pass cost savings directly to our users so they do not carry the burden of building expensive tech themselves.

And now, we are taking this a step further with our new AI-powered tools. These include features like AI-generated job descriptions to help clients describe their requirements more clearly, smarter AI matching to connect them with the best candidates instantly, and automated filtering to reduce time spent on reviewing profiles. All of this helps businesses hire faster and more accurately, while significantly cutting operational costs.

In essence, we provide the “platform as a service” layer to help entrepreneurs focus on delivering excellence, not on building technology from scratch.

You recently unveiled a new identity. How will this milestone reinforce your presence in the Saudi market and the broader region?

Unveiling our new identity was more than a visual refresh—it was a strategic step toward strengthening our presence in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the wider Arab region.

The new brand reflects who we are today: a mature, confident, region-focused platform that understands local culture, language, and the evolving needs of both freelancers and businesses. It reinforces our commitment to being a truly Arab brand built for Arab talent.

It also boosts our credibility. A strong, modern identity helps us stand out in a competitive market and positions Hurr as a trusted partner for organizations across Saudi Arabia and the region. It creates clearer visibility, a deeper connection with users, and a unified message that supports expansion into GCC markets and the broader Arab world.

Most importantly, the new identity aligns our team, our freelancers, and our partners under one vision, helping us scale faster and build a platform that genuinely represents the future of freelancing in our region.

As a woman founder, what are the key challenges female entrepreneurs face in Saudi Arabia, and how do you see the Kingdom’s efforts to empower them?

To be honest, I do not see the challenges the way they are often portrayed. In Saudi Arabia today, women founders actually have incredible opportunities. The ecosystem is opening doors for us, not closing them. We are building companies, attracting partnerships, and leading teams in our own feminine, unique way, and the market is responding positively to that.

What stands out to me is how strongly the Kingdom is supporting and empowering women. From representation to visibility to access, we are seeing genuine encouragement for women to step into leadership and entrepreneurship. The environment now rewards competence, creativity, and commitment, and women in Saudi Arabia are showing all of that and more.

So instead of focusing on obstacles, I see momentum. I see women leading with clarity, compassion, and strength. And I see Saudi Arabia actively creating a space where female entrepreneurs can thrive, scale, and contribute meaningfully to the economy across the GCC and Arab region.

In your opinion, how does the private sector contribute to enhancing the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Saudi Arabia in general, and the freelancing sector in particular?

The private sector in Saudi Arabia today is playing a huge role in pushing the entrepreneurship scene forward. Companies are becoming more open to new models of work, including freelancing, and that shift alone has unlocked a lot of opportunities for talent and for platforms like Hurr.

What I am seeing is that the private sector is no longer waiting for traditional hiring cycles. They want agility, speed, and specialized skills, and freelancers provide exactly that. When big organizations start integrating freelancers into their workforce, it sends a clear message: freelancing is not just a side gig; it is a real, professional career path.

At the same time, companies are collaborating with platforms, creating structured projects, supporting young talent, and giving people a chance to prove themselves. This combination, flexibility and opportunity, is what strengthens the ecosystem. And honestly, it is one of the reasons why the freelancing sector is growing so fast, not only in Saudi Arabia, but across the GCC and the wider Arab region.

Finally, what are Hurr’s plans to strengthen its position in Saudi Arabia and the GCC?

Our focus is very clear: to grow deeper in Saudi Arabia and expand confidently across the GCC. We are doing this by building a truly local, Arab-first experience that reflects the needs of our market.

A few of our next steps include:

● Enhancing the platform with more AI tools that make hiring faster, smarter, and more accurate, from auto job descriptions to intelligent matching and filtering.

● Expanding our freelancer community with more specialization and higher-quality talent that matches the demands of the region.

● Forming strategic partnerships with companies that want reliable, flexible, and cost-efficient hiring solutions.

● Strengthening our presence across the GCC, making it easier for companies to hire across borders and for freelancers to work regionally.

● Building an ecosystem, not just a platform, one that connects talent, companies, and opportunities across the Arab world.

And ultimately, our goal is to position Hurr as the leading platform for freelance solutions in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the wider Arab region — the place companies trust and freelancers prefer.

Noha Gad

The dynamic process of establishing a new business venture involves a blend of creativity, risk-taking, and vision to create value and drive economic growth. Entrepreneurs often seek to disrupt existing markets by introducing brand-new solutions, and their efforts can lead to significant social and technological advancements. This mindset involves identifying opportunities, leading change, and managing risks to build sustainable enterprises that can scale and influence industries over time.

The growing interest in solo business ventures and startups is reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape as more individuals choose to launch businesses on their own, triggered by the desire for autonomy, flexibility, and direct control over their work and income. This surge reflects an ideal shift where people prefer manageable, passion-driven enterprises that they can operate independently rather than large, complex organizations. Hence, the solopreneur model emerged as an emphasis on self-reliance, direct responsibility, and often a lifestyle-oriented approach to business.

What is a solopreneur?

A solopreneur is an individual who owns, manages, and runs their business independently without the support of co-founders, partners, or full-time employees. They typically start their ventures with personal funds and maintain tight control over every aspect of operations, favoring stability and manageable growth.

Key characteristics of a solopreneur include versatility, as they perform multiple roles themselves; high accountability, as they are responsible for all decisions and outcomes; and resourcefulness, often working with limited resources and finding cost-effective solutions to sustain their business.

Unlike traditional business owners who build teams, solopreneurs typically operate on a smaller scale, focusing on manageable business models that align with their skills and lifestyle preferences.

Solopreneur vs. Entrepreneurs

Key differences between solopreneurs and entrepreneurs include their approach to business structure, growth goals, risk, and control.

*Business structure

Solopreneurs: act as both the founder and the employee who handles every aspect of the business. 

Entrepreneurs: focus on building and managing teams. They delegate responsibilities, hire specialists, and create systems that allow the business to operate independently.

*Growth goals

Solopreneurs: seek sustainable, manageable businesses that support their lifestyle and financial independence. They prioritize steady income and control over rapid growth

Entrepreneurs: aim for scale and long-term expansion, targeting market dominance, multiple revenue streams, and sometimes preparing for acquisitions or an eventual exit.

*Funding

Solopreneurs: They typically self-fund their ventures, bearing lower financial risk as their operations are smaller and less complex.

Entrepreneurs: They require substantial capital investment to cover payroll, infrastructure, and growth initiatives.

*Control

Solopreneurs: maintain complete control over every business decision

Entrepreneurs: share control with partners, investors, and employees by delegating authority to manage complex business functions.

*Business focus

Solopreneurs: focus on a single product or niche, maintaining simplicity and direct client relationships.

Entrepreneurs: handle multiple projects, markets, or product lines.

Pros and cons of being a solopreneur

Being a solopreneur comes with several notable advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these can help individuals decide if this path aligns with their personal goals, skills, and lifestyle preferences.

Pros:

• Full creative control over business vision, brand, and decision.
• Flexibility to set schedules and work from anywhere, supporting better work-life balance.
• Low overhead costs as the is no need to pay salaries or office rent.
• Ability to adapt rapidly to market changes and make quick decisions.
• Retain all profits.

Cons:

• High workload as they handle every aspect of the business. 
• Limited expertise outside core skills.
• Risk of isolation and loneliness due to lack of team interaction and collaboration.
• Bearing full financial and operational risks.

There are many factors that individuals must consider to decide which bath is right. This includes: personal goals and ambitions, risk tolerance, desire for control versus collaboration, and lifestyle preferences. Individuals who seek complete autonomy and manageable, lifestyle-friendly businesses may prefer solopreneurship, while those driven by growth, innovation, and building sizable enterprises with multiple stakeholders may find entrepreneurship more suitable. 

Finally, both solopreneurs and entrepreneurs play pivotal roles in the business ecosystem, and understanding their differences empowers you to forge a fulfilling and impactful journey in the world of business.

Noha Gad

In today’s dynamic global economy, startups and innovative businesses play a pivotal role in driving growth, job creation, and technological advancement. This vibrant startup environment thrives on agility, disruption, and the continuous pursuit of novel solutions. Parallel to this evolution is the rise of the gig economy, a labor market characterized by short-term, freelance, and project-based work enabled by digital platforms. 

The gig economy complements the startup and business ecosystem by offering flexible income opportunities and fostering entrepreneurial activity. The concept of gig work roots stretching back centuries to early human societies, where task-based labor was the norm.

The digital revolution in the late 20^th century transformed gig work by enabling online platforms to connect freelancers with clients globally, facilitating a wide range of short-term, project-based, and freelance work across industries, including ride-sharing, food delivery, high-skilled remote consulting, digital marketing, IT development, and healthcare services.

How does the gig economy work?

This economy operates on a fundamentally different business model from traditional employment, centered around flexibility, technology platforms, and task-based work. Gig workers typically take on short-term assignments, freelance projects, or on-demand jobs often sourced and managed via digital platforms, which act as intermediaries, connecting businesses or individuals needing services with independent contractors worldwide.

One of the key features of the gig economy is that it leverages AI-powered algorithms to match gig workers with assignments based on skills, location, and availability, optimizing efficiency for both parties. Companies can access diverse, scalable talent pools across geographies, benefiting from on-demand expertise without long-term commitments.

Additionally, many businesses integrate gig workers alongside traditional full-time staff, using gig labor to manage peak workloads or specialized tasks. Overall, the gig economy functions as an agile, technology-enabled labor market providing flexible opportunities for workers and cost-effective, scalable solutions for businesses, significantly reshaping the future of work.

Pros and Cons

The gig economy offers diverse benefits for both workers and businesses in today’s growing labor market. For workers, it provides:

-Flexibility and autonomy. It allows workers to choose when, where, and how much they work, enabling a better work-life balance.

-Diverse income opportunities. It paves the way for multiple income streams across various industries, including emerging fields like IT, finance, healthcare, and digital marketing.

-Skill development. By working on varied projects, freelancers can gain experience and build specialized skills and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Additionally, the gig economy helps businesses to:

-Reduce costs by saving on traditional employment expenses such as benefits, office space, onboarding, and long-term commitments.

-Expand teams. Startups can quickly scale teams up or down to meet demand and seize new opportunities without the rigid overhead of full-time staff. 

-Access specialized talent: the gig platform offers access to a global, diverse pool of flexible, highly skilled professionals, allowing startups to fill specific skill gaps.

-Bolster innovation and productivity. Flexible schedules for gig workers would help startups foster creativity and maintain productivity across different time zones.

Although gig economy jobs offer flexibility and independence, they also come with challenges, such as the lack of employee benefits, navigating taxes, securing health insurance, dealing with income fluctuations, and the lack of a workplace community.

How does the gig economy support startups?

The gig economy plays a pivotal role in reshaping entrepreneurship and business operations worldwide. Researches show that individuals participating in the gig economy are about twice as likely to start their own businesses compared to non-gig workers. This trend is most prominent among first-time entrepreneurs, younger workers, and those seeking flexible opportunities.

For many workers, gig work provides a low-risk environment to gain industry experience, test business ideas, and build capital before founding a startup, enabling experimentation, learning on the job, and gradual business development without the pressures of traditional employment.

In turn, the gig economy offers startups a scalable, cost-effective access to talent as they can flexibly engage freelance experts for specialized projects such as software development, creative design, and marketing campaigns without the overhead of full-time hires. This agility helps startups innovate rapidly, manage fluctuating workloads, and control expenses.

Thus, the gig economy offers a fertile ground for entrepreneurial talent and serves as a strategic resource for startups, creating a dynamic ecosystem fueling innovation and economic growth.

Future outlook

The gig economy is expected to witness a remarkable growth within the next five years, driven by technological advancement, regulatory changes, and shifting cultural attitudes toward work. This shift will require gig workers to continuously upskill, with personalized and AI-powered training platforms becoming essential for maintaining competitiveness.

Finally, the gig economy is a defining feature of the future of work, offering unprecedented flexibility, entrepreneurial potential, and access to global talent. understanding and strategically engaging with the gig economy will be essential for businesses, startups, and workers alike to thrive in this rapidly changing economic landscape.

Noha Gad

The global digital payments landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation in recent years, revolutionizing the way consumers and businesses transact. Recent reports by Statista anticipated the total transaction value in the digital payments market to hit $38.07 trillion by 2030, with a CAGR of 13.6% between 2025 and 2030. Mobile Point-of-Sale (PoS) payments, which represent the largest share in the digital payments market, are projected to achieve a total transaction value of $12.56 trillion in 2025.

The transformation in the digital payment market mirrors the growing preference for faster, frictionless payment methods, supported by innovations in AI for fraud detection and the integration of payment technologies into everyday life. 

Within this transformative digital payment environment, invisible payments emerged as the next significant leap, allowing purchases to be billed automatically based on user behavior or context. 

What are invisible payments?

Invisible payments refer to transactions that happen seamlessly in the background, without requiring consumers to physically interact with a payment terminal or even consciously initiate the payment. They are designed to eliminate the traditional manual steps involved in making payments, such as clicking, entering card details, or scanning QR codes, leveraging emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, AI, biometrics, and pre-registered payment accounts.

These payments offer consumers a frictionless experience, enabling them to enjoy services or purchase products without explicit payment actions at the point of sale (PoS).

How do invisible payments work?

Invisible payments are enabled through cutting-edge technology that links the user's payment method with specific triggers, such as location, biometric authentication, or device sensors. This swift process includes: 

• Setup and registration. Consumers register their payment details once, often during account creation on the service platform or application.
• Contextual triggers. Once set up, the system activates based on contextual cues such as entering a store, picking items, or starting a ride. Then, sensors, cameras, and IoT devices detect user actions or presence, while AI algorithms analyze this data in real time.
• Authentication methods. Biometric authentication or device-based authentication is often used to confirm the user’s identity with high confidence.
• Automatic billing. The system automatically processes the payment in the background, charging the user's pre-registered account without any further manual input.​
• Confirmation and sending receipts. A digital receipt is sent post-transaction, providing transparency while maintaining the seamless experience

Benefits of invisible payments

Invisible payments offer several benefits for both consumers and businesses, ultimately enhancing the payment experience through seamless technology integration. For consumers, invisible payments offer:

-Convenience and speed. By eliminating manual entry of payment details and physical actions, invisible payments allow consumers to pay effortlessly, speeding up checkouts in retail, ride-sharing, and online shopping environments.

-Enhanced customer experience. This type of payment enables customers to enjoy a hassle-free shopping experience.

-Improved security. Invisible payments safeguard transactions and minimize errors and fraud risks by leveraging biometrics, encryption, tokenization, and automated fraud detection.

For businesses, invisible payments offer:

-Faster payments and improved cash flow. These payments enable businesses to receive funds quickly and manage cash flow more effectively.

-Enhanced operational efficiency. Automation reduces the manual workload around payment processing and invoicing, saving time and resources.​

-Robust relationships with suppliers. Faster and accurate payments strengthen trust and partnerships with suppliers.

By integrating with IoT devices, mobile applications, and wearables, invisible payments are expected to expand their reach, enabling innovations beyond subscriptions or retail checkout. This transformation will significantly redefine the way consumers interact with commerce in everyday life, making payments a fully automated and invisible part of the experience.

Technological advancements will play a crucial role in shaping the future of invisible payments. For instance, AI-powered payment orchestration will optimize authorization in real-time, enhancing approval rates and reducing friction during checkout, while biometric authentication, such as facial recognition and fingerprints, will replace passwords and PINs, offering faster, safer payments.

Finally, invisible payments are anticipated to support a borderless financial ecosystem, making cross-border transactions as seamless as domestic ones, backed by the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and regulatory advancements.

Noha Gad

The rapid growth of e-commerce urged retailers to deliver faster, cheaper, and more reliable services to meet customers’ preferences for same-day or even two-hour deliveries. Traditional fulfillment models, relying on large regional warehouses, often struggle to meet urban delivery expectations due to long transit times and high last-mile costs, which can account for up to 53% of total shipping expenses.  

This shift has driven the adoption of localized fulfillment strategies, with Micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) emerging as a scalable solution to bridge the gap between supply and demand in high-density markets.

MFCs integrate directly with e-commerce platforms, allowing real-time inventory synchronization and seamless order processing. They play a pivotal role in optimizing e-commerce operations by enabling proximity-based fulfillment. By storing high-turnover inventory in urban micro-hubs, retailers can drastically reduce delivery times, often to less than 24 hours, while improving order accuracy through automation.

These compact, automated centers, typically ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 square feet, revolutionize modern logistics as they bring inventory closer to urban consumers and enable faster deliveries and more efficient supply chains. MFCs were developed to meet rising consumer demand for same-day or next-day delivery, utilizing automation and real-time inventory systems to process orders with speed and precision, making them a cornerstone of agile e-commerce fulfillment.

How MFCs work

The primary objective of an MFC is to optimize last-mile delivery, the most expensive and time-sensitive segment of the supply chain, by reducing the distance between inventory and end customers. 

Micro-fulfillment centers integrate three essential components: advanced management software, automated physical infrastructure, and streamlined packing operations. The software layer processes incoming online orders in real time, synchronizing with e-commerce platforms and inventory systems to ensure accuracy and speed. Meanwhile, the physical infrastructure leverages robotics, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), and conveyor networks to retrieve items with minimal human intervention, significantly reducing labor costs and error rates. Once ready, items are transferred to packing stations where staff or automated systems prepare them for dispatch, often within hours of order placement.

These centers can operate as standalone facilities or be embedded within existing retail stores, enabling omnichannel fulfillment strategies such as ship-from-store, buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), and curbside pickup.

Types of micro-fulfillment centers 

There are three primary types of MFCs: standalone, store-integrated, and dark stores. Standalone MFCs are independent, compact logistics facilities typically ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 square feet. These centers focus exclusively on processing online orders for rapid last-mile delivery. They are often built in repurposed industrial spaces, basements, or standalone urban lots and can be deployed within months due to minimal construction requirements. They are effective for e-commerce businesses seeking to scale delivery speed without relying on existing retail footprints.

Store-integrated micro-fulfillment centers are embedded within active retail or grocery stores, typically in backrooms, basements, or underutilized floor space, allowing simultaneous in-store shopping and online order fulfillment. This type leverages the store’s proximity to customers to reduce shipping costs and accelerate delivery times, often enabling curbside pickup, BOPIS, and local delivery within hours. This model also improves inventory turnover by dynamically allocating stock between in-store sales and online fulfillment, reducing overstock and shrinkage.

Additionally, dark stores are retail locations that have been converted into fully automated, customer-inaccessible fulfillment centers dedicated exclusively to processing online orders. Unlike store-integrated MFCs, dark stores do not serve walk-in customers; they serve fulfillment staff or robots that pick items from shelves and pack them for home delivery or pickup. 

Dark stores are particularly prevalent in grocery and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors, where demand for rapid delivery is high.

How MFCs boost the e-commerce industry

Retailers of all sizes leverage micro-fulfillment centers to stay competitive as they offer a wide range of benefits, including: 

-Faster delivery times.

-Improved customer satisfaction.

-Lower delivery and inventory costs.

-Space optimization.

-Omnichannel integration.

The future of MFCs is shaped by rapid urbanization and the growing need for hyper-local fulfilment solutions, fueled by advancements in robotics, AI-driven inventory management, and automation technologies. Thus, these centers are no longer a futuristic concept but a strategic necessity in the evolving landscape of e-commerce and urban logistics. 

MFCs offer a scalable, efficient solution to meet consumers’ demand for same-day and even same-hour delivery by bringing inventory closer to end customers through compact, automated hubs located in or near cities.

Finally, MFCs represent a transformative shift in how goods are stored, picked, and delivered. As technology advances and urban density increases, MFCs will become an operational imperative for businesses aiming to meet rising customer expectations for speed, convenience, and sustainability in the digital age.